Afcon 2025: Morocco Declared Winners After CAF Overturns Final Defeat to Senegal Morocco has been officially declared the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed the result of the final following Senegal’s controversial walk-off. The original match, held on 18 January, saw Senegal defeat Morocco 1-0 in a game marred by dramatic events. The Senegalese team walked off the pitch after being awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the score at 0-0, leading to a 17-minute delay before returning. Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved, and Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner, securing Senegal’s second title in five years. However, the result was overturned by CAF’s appeal board, which ruled Senegal had forfeited the match. The decision followed an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which argued that Senegal’s actions violated CAF regulations. A statement from CAF declared Senegal had “forfeited the final match” and recorded the result as a 3-0 victory for Morocco. The ruling cited Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, which states that a team refusing to play without the referee’s authorization is deemed the loser and eliminated from the competition. Article 84 further penalizes such violations by permanently barring the team from future competitions and awarding the match to the opposing side. The FRMF emphasized that its appeal was not aimed at challenging Senegal’s sporting performance but at enforcing the competition’s rules. The federation praised the participation of all nations in the tournament, calling it a “major moment for African football.” Meanwhile, football journalist Maher Mezahi noted that the overturned result could not erase the emotional impact of the match for fans, including the joy of Senegal’s players celebrating their victory.#morocco #senegal #pape_thiaw #caf #frmf
